ckreflections

God will bring us a cup...

2006-03-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Amazing testimony of a woman who was at the end of her rope. It reminds me the real role of our churches today...

The following is a testimony given at Emmanuel Reformed Church in Paramount, California:

My name is Penny, and I am a single mother of five children. Three years ago, when my youngest child was a year old, a succession of events destroyed the life I had known, but through God's grace, I was given the life I have now.

I was in a relationship with someone for 10 years, and I felt my life was good. He had a decent job, I was off of welfare, and my world was in an upswing. Then my boyfriend fell back into his drug addiction, and it took over his life, leaving me to support my five kids alone. My apartment building was sold, and I was forced to move. The only place for me and the kids to go was a motel.

I made $324 a week and had to pay $343 in rent, so even though I worked 40 hours a week, I began cleaning rooms in the middle of the night at the motel. The $3 I made for cleaning each room helped to feed the kids during the week.

My two older children had been attending this church's junior high ministry, and they finally convinced me to come to church on a Sunday. I really enjoyed it, and God started speaking to me.

But my life became overwhelming. It was so hard to see my children suffering because of me. I just couldn't take care of them like a mother should. One night I parked in front of the church and cried. I asked God, "Why was I given these children if I am unable to take care of them?" They were hungry, unhappy, and living in a one-room motel. They were suffering because of my inability. I was trying to fix things, but it wasn't working. So I asked God if I should turn them over to the state. I cried for about two hours that night, but I got no answer. I went back to the motel and kept going.

After a few more weeks, I was falling deeper and deeper into a hole I couldn't get out of. One day after work, I was at the end of my rope. There was barely anything to feed the kids, they were arguing with each other, I had a stressful day at work, and I had to work all night cleaning rooms. There was no one to help—so I sat down at the tiny table in the room, closed my eyes, and I prayed. I asked God for strength. I told him I didn't need money to miraculously fall from the sky, but I just needed endurance through this trial. I asked him to give my children peace, and to give me a sign that I was going to make it.

After I prayed, I lifted my head and took a deep breath. Right at that moment there was a knock at my motel door. There were two people from a care team at church. They were holding a cup filled with candy. I cried. I still don't know who those people were.

There were still some hard times after that, but God gave me strength to find a new life. I joined a small group and became part of that wonderful family. Now God has moved me to a great place to live, two blocks from church. He brought me a promotion at work, so I don't have to clean motel rooms at night anymore.

I remember so clearly the feelings of helplessness and saying, "If I can just make it through today…" But our God is faithful. I look at my cup every day now. I keep it in my car as a reminder that when we as people are at our lowest, helpless and broken, if we just turn to God, he will bring us a cup.

When I say...I follow Christ

2006-02-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

For me, it's makes more sense to change the title to 'when I say....I follow Christ"

WHEN I SAY…I AM A CHRISTIAN 
When I say…….I am a Christian I'm not shouting "I am saved."
I'm whispering "I got lost."
That is why I chose this Way. 
When I say ……..I am a Christian I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble And need someone to be my guide. 
When I say ……..I am a Christian
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I am weak
And pray for strength to carry on. 
When I say ……..I am a Christian
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And cannot ever pay the debt. 
When I say ……..I am a Christian
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are too visible
But God believes I'm worth it. 
When I say ……..I am a Christian
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
Which is why I seek His name. 
When I say ……..I am a Christian
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority
I only know I'm loved.
Unknown 

wisdom for today

2006-01-30T10:17:00.000-08:00

o The more you talk, the less people listen.
o Trying cure distress with the same thing that caused it only makes matters worse.
o Boasting of your accomplishments does not make people admire them.
o If you scratch certain itches, they just itch more.
o Many valuable things, including happiness and deep sleep, come to us only if we do not try hard for them.

Living as a revolutionary : living as a disciple of Christ

2006-01-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

Few weeks ago, I spoke about what it means to live as a revolutionary which means that we live our life as a follower of Christ bringing changes both in our life and to those around us. Here's a portion of what Dallas Willar (Professor from USC) wrote about living as a disciple. Hope this helps those who are in the journey of following Christ :

Dallas Willard wrote in his unpublished article on "how to live as a disciple"

....Living as Jesus’ disciple, I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens everywhere I am, in every activity I engage in. There are three dimensions of this learning.

First, I am learning to do the things which Jesus explicitly said to do. It is quite literally nonsense to call Jesus “Lord,” and not do what he said. “Lord” means nothing in such a case. (Luke 6:46-49) But because I do accept him as Lord, his instructions on behavior are my treasures for living life. Of course I cannot do what he said by just trying. I must train! I must, through appropriate courses of action, become inwardly transformed by grace to become the kind of person—in my inmost thoughts, feelings, attitudes and directions of will—who will routinely do the kinds of things he said to do. I will then not be governed by anger, contempt or lust. And I will be able to bless those who curse me, love my enemies, and so forth, because I am one in whom the character and power of Christ has come to dwell through the processes of discipleship to Christ.

Second, I am learning to conduct the usual activities of life—in home, school, community, business and government—in the character and power of Christ. Jesus himself, of course, spent most of his life on earth as an “independent contractor” or businessman. Jesus could have led the ordinary life of the ordinary citizen in all of its legitimate respects. He can show us how to live now, as a mother or father, banker or computer programmer, teacher or artist, in the Kingdom of the Heavens. His character and power and personal guidance will lead us into life as it should be in all of these areas of human existence.

Third, I am learning to exercise the power of the kingdom—of Christ in his Word and Spirit—to minister good and defeat evil in all of the connections of earthly existence. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38) Apprenticeship to Jesus means that, in tiny steps, we learn to exercise this power seen in Jesus. Growth in character is primary, for power requires substance of character if it is to be used for Christ’s purposes. Christ had no character problems, but we do. Prayer, in its aspect of training for Kingdom life, is primarily a matter of learning to exercise power in a way that is both profitable and safe. Through it, in the usual case, we take our first steps in “receiving abundance of grace” and “reigning in life by One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17) So character is more important than power for us, but it does not replace power. The fruit of the Spirit (thoroughly Christlike character) flourishes only in a context of regular communal manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. And this manifest power of the Spirit in life is not something restricted to “church services.” In this matter also, Jesus is our example and our teacher. He acted with the Kingdom wherever he was. The “rivers of living water” which, as he said “shall flow from the center of the believers life” (from his “belly,” John 7:38), will continually flow from us, as it did from him, wherever we may be.

Now growth in grace—in God acting in our life—is something we must plan for by regular engagement in activities that enable us to receive God’s grace in all areas of our spirit (will), thoughts, feelings, body, social relations, and the deepest depths of our soul. We have been thoroughly “occupied” by sin—which is mainly just exaltation of “me,” and the consequences thereof. Our intention as apprentices of Jesus is to become the kind of person who lives in the character and power of Christ. We must, then, do those things that will enable us to become that kind of person, from the inside out—through appropriate actions and practices.

Such actions and practices are “disciplines for the spiritual life.” They are well-known from observing Christ and his people. They include such practices as solitude, silence, fasting, study, worship, fellowship, prayer, etc. There is no complete list of such practices, though some are more well-known and widely practiced than others, because they are more central to breaking the power of indwelling sin and increasingly filling our life with grace. Disciplines are, in essence, activities in our power that enable us, by grace, to do what we cannot do by direct effort—by “just trying.” We cannot, by just trying, succeed in loving our enemies and heartily blessing those who curse us. But by a wise practice of disciplines in the presence of Christ, we can become people who will routinely and easily do so.

In disciplines we need to be informed and experimental. They are not righteousness, but wisdom. We must be practical with them, and not picky. We must not be ‘heroic’ or think we are earning anything from God. Disciplines for the spiritual life are places in which we meet with Jesus to be taught by him, and he is our guide into how they are best practiced. We should not be overly concerned about how others do them. In a very short time Jesus will lead us into the practice of them that is best for us.

The crucial thing is that, as disciples, we have a plan for carrying out the decision we have made to devote ourselves to becoming like our Master and Lord—to increasingly living in the character and power of Christ. Disciples are those who, seriously intending to become like Jesus from the inside out, systematically and progressively rearrange their affairs to that end, under the guidance of the Word and the Spirit. That is how the disciple lives.

a church in post-modern world...

2005-12-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

"If the Church can begin to find a place for theology by refocusing itself on the centrality of God, if it can rest upon his sufficiency, if it can recover its moral fiber, then it will have something to say to a world now drowning in modernity. And there lies a great irony. Those who are most relevant to the modern world are those most irrelevant to the moral purpose of God, but those who are irrelevant in the world by virtue of their relevance to God actually have the most to say to the world. They are, in fact, the only ones who have anything to say to it. That is what Jesus declared, what the Church in its best moments has known, and what we, by the grace of God, can yet again discover." -David Wells, 'No Place for Truth, or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?'

I wonder if one can be both relevant to the world at the same time be faithful in testifying on the centrality of God. Wasn't Jesus very relevant to the people in his time? Unlike Pharisees, Jesus was able to impact the world at the same time focus on the centrality of God and his sufficiency.... The real challenge is to do both at the same time.!

Believing the unbelievable

2005-12-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

"....When we hear the ancient bells growling on a Sunday morning we ask ourselves: Is it really possible! This, for a Jew, crucified two thousand years ago, who said he was God's son? The proof of such a claim is lacking. Certainly the Christian religion is an antiquity projected into our times from remote prehistory; and the fact that the claim is believed - whereas one is otherwise so strict in examining pretensions - is perhaps the most ancient piece of this heritage. A god who begets children with a mortal woman; a sage who bids men work no more, have no more courts, but look for the signs of the impending end of the world; a justice that accepts the innocent as a vicarious sacrifice; someone who orders his disciples to drink his blood; prayers for miraculous interventions; sins perpetrated against a god, atoned for by a god; fear of a beyond to which death is the portal; the form of the cross as a symbol in a time that no longer knows the function and ignominy of the cross -- how ghoulishly all this touches us, as if from the tomb of a primeval past! Can one believe that such things are still believed?..." (From Nietzsche's Human, all too Human)

The problem with Nietzsche is that so many of us still believe this unbelievable truth of what God has done...

“God is dead” – Signed Nietzsche,
“Nietzsche is dead” – Signed God

Here’s the other (the newer version)

Why did the chicken cross the road?
Nietzsche: Because if you gaze too long across the Road, the Road gazes also across you.

found a recipe

2005-12-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

can someone make this? i just want to taste it....just one!

Title: TURKISH DELIGHT
Categories: Candies, Turkish
Yield: 1 servings

2 c Sugar
2 tb Cornstarch
1 c Water
1/2 ts Cream of tartar
1 tb Flavoring *
Food coloring **
1/2 c Toasted nuts, chopped ***
Confectioners' sugar

* Flavorings: rose, mastic, strawberry, orange or
lemon. ** Food coloring: red, yellow, green or orange
(depending on flavoring used) *** Nuts: almonds or
pistachios

Dissolve sugar and cornstarch in water. Add cream of
tartar. Boil to 220 degrees F. Cover pot the last 5
minutes. Add flavor and food color. Add nuts.

Pour into oiled shallow pan. When cool, cut into
squares and roll each piece in sifted powdered sugar.
Store in plastic bag.

From: The Complete Greek Cookbook, by Theresa Karas
Yianilos, Avenel Books, New York.

turkish delight

2005-12-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

i went to see "Narnia" with my boys last week. we barely made it to the theater. once again, as usual, with a medium popcorn, a large bottle of water, a hot dog and a plain pretzel, we found two empty seats in the back of the theater. i sat through the whole movie with caleb sitting in my lab(he fell asleep as the battle began). there's so much metaphors once again as expected. although this was a children's movie, i was so glad for the work of cs lewis' ability to lead us into the fantasy land. i'm sure calvin and caleb enjoyed the movie since we've been reading about the book together past few weeks. for me, i thought it was okay (i don't think this movie should be compared to the lord of the ring). i'm still doing my own reflection about different metaphors and i will soon do a message series on the theme of 'narnia'.

turkish delight...i never tasted it and hopefully soon, i want to try it. although i've never tasted it, i alway crave for one. it was interesting that lewis uses the theme of 'eating' as recorded in the genesis about the origin of sin. eating has been the theme of my life this year as still struggling to change my lifestyle or at least think about what 'total satisfaction' really means in relation to eating. edmund's craving for turkish delight has certainly destroyed his appetite for ordinary, wholesome food. after that, his resentment against his brother/sister overules his life.... what is my turkish delight for today? hmmmm... as shopping season already had begun, there are few things i've been craving for...reasoning myself that i need new toys...then, do i really need them vs. do i jus want them... will those toys reallly make my life any better? can i just be satisfied with what i already have? i ask God for the wisdom to really distinguish 'wholesome' food vs. 'turkish delight' in my life.

The End of Economic Man

2005-12-14T15:55:00.001-08:00

I have recently picked up one of the old book "The End of Economic Man" written by one of my dear professor Peter Drucker who recently passed away. He certainly had a mind of his own and because that, he had a gift of stimulating our thoughts. He wrote this in 1939 which he would've been younger than I am today. I'm amazed. I've been thinking a lot of situation in North Korea or regions where totalitarian regimes still rule. I wonder what kind of impact capitalism will have in those under-developed, oppressed countries. Eventually, their doors will open and new system of goverment and lifestyle will be promoted. Will it bring more chaos? Will people prefer older system of totalitarian regime if the new system eventually fail? I don't think capitalism is the answer unless the results or the foundation of capitalism is emphasized : freedom, equlity and the power of individuals which will promote 'competitiveness' in the market place. Historically all 'isms' have failed. Even capitalism where producing goods in constantly increasing volume at a constantly diminishing cost will be impossible to sustain. However, at least it promotes freedom, equality and the power of individuals which will not necessarily promise classless society but much better than marxian or communistic model. I'm grateful to be a citizen of a country that declares "...We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...." I'm even more grateful for REAL, ETERNAL freedom I have in Christ. I'm also obligated to share this to citizens of all totalitarian regimes....

2005-12-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

I got this from a friend of mine. Very simple yet, with lots of meat in it. If you are stressed out, chew on this.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked,
"How heavy is this glass of water?"
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued,
"And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
we won't be able to carry on. "

"As with the glass of water,
you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.

When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.
Don't carry it home.
You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
let them down for a moment if you can."

So, my friend, why not take a while to just simply RELAX.
Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.
Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Life is short.

Enjoy it!

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never buy a car you can't push.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons...

Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today....

..I did.